OK, here is the mystery.
I tried to grow hornwort once in my big tank (2.5 watts per gallon, 78 degrees, adequate filtration). It was semi-floating, but immediately started to turn brown and died. I transfered the one living piece of it into my bettas aquarium (5 gallons, unfiltered, 80 degrees, no light except indirect from window). It grew large and turned a deep green. Nitrates 10ppm in betta tank, 25 ppm in big tank, no nitrites. I fertilize the big tank once a week. Why did the hornwort grow in the betta tank and not the big tank?
Thank you

musho3210

02-05-2007 03:57 PM

in the big tank, is the light flourecent or incandecent?

scottysgirl

02-05-2007 05:01 PM

It is a flourescent light, a 'grow' light from the hardware store, and then another flourescent light that came with the hood. The big tank also gets indirect sunlight

fish_4_all

02-07-2007 07:46 PM

Nitrates are too low, it is a sponge for them and loves to have a lot of them. I couldn't grow it until I started dosing Estimative Index levels and then it grew so fast it almost doubled in size ever 3 days.

What other plants do you have in the large tank and what else do you dose if anything?

scottysgirl

02-09-2007 11:41 PM

I also have two crypts in the big tank (one huge one), three corkscrew vals, two taller vals, 1 lilly, 1 crinium bulb, 1 anubias, and one other unknown plant. I fertilize the tank once a week with a liquid fertilizer. I have thought about using fertilizer tabs, as I have had trouble growing plants in the past.